Yesterday, the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins agreed on a blockbuster trade that sent explosive wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos in exchange for a treasure chest of draft picks. According to Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the full terms were:
Broncos receive: Jaylen Waddle and Dolphins’ fourth-round pick (No. 111) in this year’s draft.
Dolphins receive: Broncos’ first round pick (No. 30) along with their late third (No. 94) and fourth round (No. 130) picks in this year’s draft.
This move definitely shifts the balance of power in the AFC, as a 2025 Conference championship attendee just upgraded their offensive firepower, while another just enriched themselves with more draft capital to build for the future. A bit pricey, but everybody wins.
Unfortunately, the Houston Texans still come out indirectly as losers in this case, as they contributed to both Denver and Miami’s recent enrichment with a blockbuster transaction of their own from 2019. This deal also involved the Dolphins, but with the Texans being the ones to shell out premium equity for outgoing talent at the time.
The Texans trade jaw-dropping package for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills
Seven seasons ago, then-Texans de facto general manager and head coach Bill O’Brien decided to execute a huge trade with the Dolphins that resulted in the acquisition of now-Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills. This was done in effort to protect former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and electrify the offensive side of the football as a whole.
However, Houston paid a massive price to secure these offensive reinforcements, as the full trade terms were:
Texans receive: Tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, 2020 fourth-round pick, 2021 sixth-round pick
Dolphins receive: 2020 first-round pick, 2021 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, tackle Julien Davenport, cornerback Johnson Bademosi
Then-Toro Times contributor Stephen Forscha reacted to Houston’s plunge by stating,
“ The Texans have pushed all of their chips to the middle of the table and are going for broke with this trade, with head coach Bill O’Brien leading the way without the Texans currently having a general manager.
Not only is Tunsil a player they desperately needed, as the offensive line in 2018 was the worst in the NFL (go figure), but the team had to do something that was going to make a difference from the very start of the regular season.”
Though the move was very polarizing, Houston springboarded into the AFC playoff picture that season and even had a 24-0 lead on the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional round (we don’t talk about what happened after that).
Meanwhile, the Dolphins went 5-11 that year, finishing below .500 for the third season in a row. Although painful, the long term plan was already in motion: Draft now, win later.
Fast forward to the 2021 draft, and we saw one of the Texans’ premium trade assets be used to help sustain a new winning standard in Miami. Because, with the sixth-overall pick (from Houston), the Dolphins selected Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Texans watch their investment transform the Dolphins’ offense and future
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound speedster and Houston, Texas native went on to have a prolific three-year opening stretch with the Dolphins, totaling 251 catches, 3,385 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns.
His excellence helped spark Miami’s four consecutive winning seasons (dating back to 2020) and back-to-back playoff trips in 2022 and 2023. They even had the best overall offense in 2023, eclipsing 401.3 yards per game and 29.2 points per game (second-best mark).
Unfortunately for Waddle, the Dolphins then proceeded to post losing seasons in 2024 (8-9) and 2025 (7-10), which ultimately resulted in the recent benching of quarterback Tua Togavailoa and firings of both general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel.
That paved the way for the Dolphins to start over, starting with the installation of new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. Which brings us back to the aforementioned high-profile trade of Waddle to the Broncos, and how it represents the dawning of a new era of the franchise. It also represents the Broncos attempting to transform themselves into a true AFC powerhouse with head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix.
The Texans now have to contend with the Broncos in the AFC
The Texans now face a reality where they effectively had a hand in creating their own opposing force to overcome in the AFC playoff scene with Denver’s acquisition of Waddle. On the other hand, the Dolphins received one final bonus from Houston in the form of even more draft capital as a distant cousin to the 2019 trade package.
It’s funny how things end up coming back around in the NFL. Truly, that initial trade with the Dolphins in 2019 was an all-timer, continuing to be the “gift that keeps on giving” for the repeat-beneficiary.